GEO Brasil - UNEP

4.6.4. Specific Actions to Combat
Atmospheric Pollution in
Urban Centres
The first specific action at national
level to try and control emissions in
the atmosphere occurred with the
edition of Act No. 0231, of April 27 th ,
1976, of the Ministry of the Interior.
With this Act, maximum
concentrations allowed are
established for specific atmospheric
pollutants, so as no to affect human
health.
In 1989, through Resolution 05/89,
the National programmeme to
Control Air Quality was instituted
(PRONAR). PRONAR had the main
objectives of monitoring and limiting
the emission levels of pollutants by
sources of atmospheric pollution. The
basic instruments for the
achievement of such objectives
included the establishment of
maximum of emissions, the adoption
of national standards of air quality,
the management of licensing of
sources of air pollution, the
establishment of a national inventory
of sources and air pollutants, intersector
alliances and the development
of human and laboratory resources.
has led to a lack of uniformity in terms of efforts and results. In most states there
are monitoring air quality stations, manual or automatic. The existence of these
stations demonstrates the consolidation of efforts for the evaluation and
monitoring of the problem. However, despite there being active states, for example,
São Paulo, not all states have effective programmes to combat causes and
effects of atmospheric pollution.
Moreover, despite existing initiatives, the levels of atmospheric pollution in large
Brazilian urban centres are still troublesome. Studies undertaken by the World
Bank cited by MCT (2001), presented data on air quality in some cities. Results
demonstrate that pollution levels, in many cases, are well above internationally
accepted standards. The average annual standards of concentration of suspended
particulate material in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro are superior to the levels
verified in other big cities around the world such as Seoul, Los Angeles, Buenos
Aires, New York, Tokyo and London.
In the following year, in 1990,
Resolutions N 0 03/90 and 08/90 of
CONAMA were edited. Resolution N 0
03/90 came to substitute Act 0231 of
1976, fixing new standards of air
quality. Resolution N 0 08/90
established limits for emission of
pollutants in the air coming from fixed
sources.
Currently, it is the responsibility of
states to execute air quality
monitoring programmes. Despite
positive aspects, this decentralisation
Figure 2 presents a comparison of average values observed of particulate material
emissions in monitoring stations in some cities of the country and the directives
of the World Health Organisation (WHO).
As it can be observed, in Rio de Janeiro and in the Metropolitan Area of São Paulo
the emission of particulate material is still above required limits.
Also, it is important to cite a study undertaken by CETESB in the state of São
Paulo (CETESB, 2001), demonstrating that in the State Metropolitan Region in
2000, the concentration of various pollutants was above the Primary Standards
of Air Quality established by CONAMA Resolution N 0 03/90. Such pollutants
include:
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